# CVE-2019-12406: Potential DOS attack due to unrestricted attachment count in messages

> Attackers can cause denial of service by sending messages with excessive attachments, requiring an upgrade to Apache CXF.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 6 Nov 2019
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-58p8-9g59-q2hr

## What is CVE-2019-12406?

CVE-2019-12406 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apache Cxf, published on 6 Nov 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Apache CXF before 3.3.4 and 3.2.11 does not restrict the number of message attachments present in a given message. This leaves open the possibility of a denial of service type attack, where a malicious user crafts a message containing a very large number of message attachments. From the 3.3.4 and 3.2.11 releases, a default limit of 50 message attachments is enforced. This is configurable via the message property "attachment-max-count".

Weakness: CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-12406?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf and org.apache.cxf:cxf. It affects 4 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf` | Maven | All versions | 3.2.11 |
| `org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf` | Maven | All versions | 3.2.11 |
| `org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf` | Maven | From 3.3.0 | 3.3.4 |
| `org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf` | Maven | From 3.3.0 | 3.3.4 |
| `org.apache.cxf:cxf` | Maven | All versions | 3.2.11 |
| `org.apache.cxf:cxf` | Maven | All versions | 3.2.11 |
| `org.apache.cxf:cxf` | Maven | From 3.3.0 | 3.3.4 |
| `org.apache.cxf:cxf` | Maven | From 3.3.0 | 3.3.4 |

Products: Apache Cxf, Oracle Commerce Guided Search, Oracle Flexcube Private Banking, Oracle Retail Order Broker.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-12406?

Upgrade org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf to a fixed version for your release line: 3.2.11 or 3.3.4.

## Is CVE-2019-12406 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-12406 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Cxf

- [CVE-2012-2379](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2379/): XML Signature/Encryption Not Validated in Apache CXF (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2026-66909](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-66909/): Apache CXF: Unsafe deserialization of inbound JMS ObjectMessage (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-68079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68079/): Apache CXF: DefaultEncryptingCodeDataProvider allows unlimited authorization code replay (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2026-50628](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-50628/): Apache CXF: OAuth2: Inverted IP Binding Check Defeats Security Control (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-48913](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48913/): Apache CXF: Untrusted JMS configuration can lead to RCE (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-12406 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-12406 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Apache Cxf, published on 6 Nov 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-12406 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.2.11
- org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.2.11
- org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.3.4
- org.apache.cxf:apache-cxf (Maven): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.3.4
- org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.2.11
- org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven): affected all versions; fixed in 3.2.11
- org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.3.4
- org.apache.cxf:cxf (Maven): affected from 3.3.0; fixed in 3.3.4

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12406/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12406/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-12406
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-12406
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-12406

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-12406/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.